To mark World Water Day on March 22, the Perth District Health Unit will be handing out free, reusable water bottles in exchange for well-water samples from area residents. Pictured, public health inspectors Michelle Sergio and Kate Beath swap a water sample for a water bottle. (Galen Simmons/The Beacon Herald)

That’s the deal staff at the Perth District health unit are offering between March 18 and 29 to locals who get their water from private wells in celebration of World Water Day on March 22.

“It’s important to get (your well water) tested regularly because that’s the only way to ensure your water is safe to drink,” public health inspector Kate Beath said. “By not testing it, you are putting yourself at risk for having potential bacteria and other organisms in the water.”

According to the health unit, residents should have their well water tested at least three times every year — once in the spring, once in the summer and once again in the fall — to ensure changes in weather haven’t introduced harmful micro-organisms into the well.

By bringing a sample to the Perth District health unit in Stratford, or to other testing locations like Knollcrest Lodge in Milverton, Listowel Memorial Hospital, or the London Public Health Lab, Beath said landowners can find out whether their water contains unsafe levels of micro-organisms.

Should that be the case, Beath said the health unit would put the resident whose water tested as unsafe in contact with a public health inspector to guide them through the process of retesting the well water, flushing the well with bleach if the water continues to come back as unsafe, or putting them in touch with a professional who can assess a well for structural and other issues if the problem persists.

And as for handing out free water bottles in exchange for samples, Beath said it’s a great way to not only promote the use of reusable plastic, but also that tap water — be it from a well or a municipal source — is both cheap and safe to drink as long as it is tested regularly.

“What better time to put that out than on World Water Day,” Beath said. “… Our water is natural tap water (and) is a great source, good to drink, and our water bottles do say, ‘This is not bottled water.’”

For more information on how to test your well water or what to do if it comes back as unsafe, call the Health Line at 519-271-7600 ext. 267, visit www.pdhu.on.ca, or follow the health unit on Facebook and Twitter using the handle, @PDHealthUnit.